English 485: Expedition Adolescence

Patricia McCormick’s Sold is absolutely heartbreaking. The novel discusses rape and the true horrors of human trafficking. It is truly a difficult read for anyone to get through. The rape, torture, and beatings that Lakshmi endures while in the “Happiness House” is a hard pill to swallow as an adult, and for middle schoolers it would be even harder. I think that this novel is truly magnificent; however, I would not teach this novel in my classroom, because of the horrible acts that take place. Human trafficking is an important topic to discuss with middle schoolers, but I do not think that reading this novel with middle schoolers would be a good idea because it is hard to digest. I think that middle schoolers would have a hard time with this text because it discusses rape and beatings and the suffering that Lakshmi must go through while she is in the “Happiness House.” Lakshmi says “underneath the weight of him, I cannot see or move or breath. He fumbles with his pants, forces my le...

Something I noticed a lot of in Sold that I want to discuss is dichotomy. I always find dichotomy interesting when I find it because contrast is such an intentional written tool, and it can be so powerful. I have seen it a few times this semester, but in Sold , I think dichotomy is one of its biggest strengths. +2 Nerd Points to anyone who can point out dichotomy in the other novels we have read together. First off, let me explain what dichotomy is for anyone who has not heard of it. It is not a literary element that gets a ton of attention. In literature, dichotomy is when two contrasting things exist together. I'm using the word "things" because dichotomy can be found in a lot of places: characterization, conflict, structure, diction... W. W. Jacobs is really good at it. I've been teaching "The Monkey's Paw" to my middle school clinical students this week, and we have discussed it being cold outside and warm inside (where the characters are -- an exam...

   In the Young Adult novel,  Sold,  Patricia McCormick puts the horrific accounts of sexual slavery under a microscope. The audience examines the experiences of these unspeakable horrors through the lens of thirteen-year old, Lakshmi. Although difficult to read and imagine, the novel was undeniably a page turner. One of my favorite characteristics of the novel has to be it's verse structure, as well as, the titles/headers of each verse. I believe the inclusion of verse titles definitely holds significant value.      Prior to reading Sold, I had never been exposed to this verse format within a novel. I am used to the traditional format of verses only existing within poetry. I believe McCormick included this technique of verse writing for a few reasons. First, for the purpose of time traveling through Lakshmi's life. If this novel, was written in the traditional prose structure, McCormick would've of been forced to either deliver the events of...

    Horrible, unspeakable things occur every single day. Horrible, unspeakable things are occurring as I take the time to write out this blog post. It is no secret that the world is full of topics that are so  horrendous we do not even begin to know how to approach and navigate the topic with adolescents. Literature, such as Patricia McCormick's Sold , can be used as tools to provide young readers with a road map of how to approach complex topics that are real and relevant to the world in which they live.      One way that Patricia McCormick's novel, Sold , helps young readers navigate the complex topic of human trafficking by writing in prose. Writing the gruesome events that happen to Lakshmi and the other women of the brothel in easily and quickly read prose allows young readers to understand the horrors of what is happening without having to read long drawn out pages of grave detail. For example, Lakshmi states "I hurt. I am torn and bleeding where the ...

 I open this blog post with my favorite quote from this novel. When Lakshmi reaches menstruating age and begins, her mother explains to her all of the things that will now change. She makes long mention of how she must behave around men, how she must act as a wife, and the importance of bearing a son. Lakshmi asks her mother why women must suffer. Ama responds with, "This has always been our fate, simply to endure, is to triumph." (McCormick 15) I went back to this line as I was reading, this quote captured Lakshmi's spirit. She had so many instances where she could be broken, where she could accept her assumed fate and let it swallow her. Anita makes mention of the weight of the tragedy some face. "That new girl, the one in your old room, yesterday morning Mumtaz found her hanging from the rafters." (McCormick 142)  She chose not to, even after the nightmare she has experienced in her time in the Happiness House.  This novel carries the weight of this story bet...

       McCormick does a great job evoking emotion throughout the text and vividly captures the image of a girl experiencing human trafficking. I loved this book, especially because it hits so close to home. I have almost been involved in human trafficking and my experience happened right here in Spartanburg. This is a different story for a different day, but McCormick shares a message that I also want to portray: human trafficking is serious and real. I want to add that it can happen anywhere and to anyone. One of the main themes incorporated into Sold is suffering; a reader can understand that Lakshmi encounters suffering from beginning to end, and even her family. Lakshmi suffers with losing her best friend, Gita. “…It feels like nighttime even in the brightest sun without my friend.” (McCormick, 4). As readers, we see in this quote how lost Lakshmi is. I think that the author’s purpose of throwing in Gita is to show how common human trafficking is and to set the...

While reading this novel, I experienced nothing but heartbreak. You know what will happen once the story begins, but absolutely nothing can prepare you for these emotions. "I have been beaten here, locked away, violated a hundred times...how odd it is that I am undone by the simple kindness of a small boy" (McCormick 193). Despite feelings of despair, we see small hints of joy. The style of writing reflects the emotions of our main character, Lakshmi. Look at the following words: beaten, undone, locked, violated. This word choice creates feelings of anguish. Readers can understand why the small act of kindness would have an impact on Lakshmi. Oppression forces individuals to operate in a state of survival and ignore acts of kindness. Acting in survival mode means always being defensive. Towards the end of the story, we see Lakshmi decide to break away from living in survival and begin to live. "I know that I would endure a hundred punishments to be free of this place...